…Threaten to kill more if N100m ransom is not paid

By Wole Mosadomi, Minna

Bandits have reportedly executed five of the over 60 abducted villagers in Niger State.

They have also threatened to kill more instalmentally if the N100 million ransom demanded their release was not provided soonest.

The villagers were abducted from Adunu in Kafin-Koro district of Paikoro and Beni in Munya Local Government Area of the state two weeks ago.

Among those executed is a retired police officer, Mr. Moses Tanko and another serving police officer, whose name could not be identified at press time. The duo were part of those abducted from Adunu village two weeks ago.

A source close to the District Head of Adunu, Mallam Kabiru Bawa, who confirmed the development to Vanguard, said the bandits set free three women under captivity but only after raping them and directed them to go and relay their sad stories and of those executed to the villagers.

The three women set free, it was gathered, is also intended to speed up the possible payment of ransom for others still in captivity.

Two weeks ago, the bandits numbering over 200 invaded the two communities of Adunu and Beni in broad daylight and killed a medical practitioner while over 60 people, including women and children, were abducted.

At the peak of the cashless problem across the country, the bandits collected as low as between N10,000 to N20,000 from the victims to bail themselves and such people were set free.

Those who could not pay were whisked away to Birnin Gwari and Zamfara forest and increased the ransom was from N20 million to N100 million and gave March 26 as the deadline.

The five of the victims were, however, executed on Monday evening while the women were released on Tuesday to go and inform the community of the execution.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umar, could not be reached for comment, while the state police command was also yet to comment on the development.